1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device, method and program, and more particularly to an image processing device, method and program capable of providing improved image quality of an interpolated image signal when a predetermined image signal is superimposed on a pre-interpolation image signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Frame interpolation designed to interpolate the image signal between frames is an important process for providing improved quality of the image signal. This process is applied, for example, to high frame rate image processing adapted to speed up the frame rate of an image signal and motion compensated image processing adapted to compensate for a motion of an image signal.
Among such interpolation techniques available today is one which obtains a motion vector of an input time-series image signal and interpolates the image signal at an arbitrary time between time-series image signals using the motion vector (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-42831).
Incidentally, if an image signal containing an OSD (On Screen Display) image such as channel number or menu (hereinafter referred to as the “OSD image signal”) is superimposed on an input time-series image signal, the OSD image signal is treated as an image signal as with the time-series image signal in the frame interpolation. However, the OSD image motion is generally irrelevant to the motion of the background image. Therefore, if the background image appears through the OSD image in particular, the OSD image motion is treated as part of the background motion. This may result in interpolation error of the OSD image in the frame interpolation using a motion vector.
In the frame interpolation using a motion vector, therefore, a possible solution under consideration is to pause the interpolation using a motion vector if an OSD image signal is superimposed on an input time-series image signal.